Press Releases

OEHHA accepted public comments on a draft fish advisory concerning elevated levels of mercury in fish in Tomales Bay in Marin County.

OEHHA accepted public comments on a draft fish advisory concerning elevated levels of mercury in fish from Lake Natoma and the lower American River in Sacramento County.

Public health goal establishes a long-term objective for the reduction of arsenic in California's drinking water. Arsenic is one of the most toxic substances commonly found in drinking water, and it occurs naturally in many parts of the world, including California.

The completion of this Public Health Goal is a first step in California's efforts to address the presence of perchlorate in our state's drinking water supplies.

OEHHA has issued two fish advisories concerning elevated levels of mercury in certain fish from five reservoirs and portions of the Bear and South Yuba rivers and Deer Creek in the Northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and from Black Butte, Stony Gorge and East Park reservoirs.  The advisories contain guidelines for consumption of bass, channel catfish, trout and other fish species.

OEHHA conducted an exhaustive analysis of all available scientific studies on the health effects of arsenic. The proposed PHG of 4 parts per trillion is based upon studies of hundreds of thousands of patients in Taiwan, Chile and Argentina with lung and bladder cancers associated with elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water.

A draft report containing the proposed advisory and OEHHA's evaluation of potential health threats posed by mercury in certain fish from five reservoirs and portions of the Bear and South Yuba rivers and Deer Creek (Nevada, Placer and Yuba counties).

Dioxin, lead, particulate matter emissions from diesel-fueled engines, polycyclic organic matter and acrolein were identified as toxic air contaminants that may cause children and infants to be especially susceptible to illness. 

A scientific panel of experts convened by the University of California has submitted to OEHHA a review of health issues relating to the presence of chromium 6 in drinking water.  The committee's report presented information on a key German study used by OEHHA in 1998 to develop a PHG of 2.5 ppb for total chromium.

The California Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of OEHHA, has asked the University of California (UC) to establish a blue-ribbon panel of expert scientists nationwide to review scientific questions concerning the potential of chromium 6 to cause cancer when it is ingested. The UC panel's review will provide recommendations to assist OEHHA in the development of a chromium 6 PHG.